Linda Jones - "Hypnotized".....

[GrtGzu]

:)Hi everybody....Yup, I'm the "new girl on the block" coming out of lurk-dom.....I used to live in the neighborhood of Boddie Records [[Cleveland, OH)...As a matter of fact, me and Mr. GrtGzu rode past the place a couple of months ago, and you can still see remnants of what used to be....Funny, as a kid, me and my friends never really paid that much attention to the place....If anything, we thought it was just a big record-buying-store....No one ever told us what it's real purpose was...And our parents didn't "llow us" to go over there and find out...But we loved the design of the huge sign hanging out...

Wow...Who knew eh?...One of our local papers here in town did a news article about Boddie Records not too long ago, recalling its heyday...It was QUITE informative....I thought I saw somebody mention here on this board as well...

Ahhh.....building go-carts with the boys, and listening to Motown tunes on Sunday afternoons, it just didn't get any better than that....

However, I came here to ask you guys if you know anything about the lady who sang "Hypnotized" - Linda Jones....I've always LOVED that tune and will attempt to sing it even on my WORST day [[Mr. GrtGzu hates this).....Can anybody tell me anything about her? It seems a shame that she died at a young age - and I've only been able to find minimal information about her on the Internet...TIA...

[mr_june]

Hi GrtGzu,
If I recall correctly and I think I'm right. Her son or daughter has posted on here in the past. I'm sure someone else here can provide more information on that and on Linda. That's really something to pass by such a place and not know till years later that it has an interesting history. By the way, welcome to SDF.

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

Hello GrtGzu & Welcome to the forum.

I am a "new" returning member myself. I don't kow the answers to your questions, but I can tell you that Linda Jones is one of my top 3 female vocalists. I LOVE her unique vocal styling and soulful voice. I love "Hypontized" , "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" and other songs by her. It is sad she left us too soon. She was sooooooooo talented.

My boss. Eugene Pitt, was close friends with her and speaks fondly of her. He has every record she ever made.

~~Mary~~

[misty]

I don't know a lot about her personally, but I used to see her all the time at the Regal in Chicago and she always brought the house down. There should be an Unsung about her because she's one of the most unrecognized, underrated singers of the 60's.

Welcome to the board, GrtGzu.

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

Here's the song...


http://youtu.be/9UTqdGZt2_4

[GrtGzu]

Thanks for the Welcome everyone!! And I too, have always thought she's worthy of an UnSung episode as well...so I missed the thread about her on this board? Shoot, I thought I had read all the threads...I'll have to wait til I get home to catch the Youtube link from above, cuz I'm at work right now....[[now I can't WAIT to get home, LOL!)....

I just find this board so fascinating and LOADED with info I never knew about..[[I thought I was the only person who as a KID, actually read the back of album covers to see who did what)..I'm especially stoked about the fact that there are REAL people here who worked with the artists, and I can therefore be assured that the stuff I read here is not "fiction"....I'm also amazed at how many people here are from "across the pond", and how interesting the information they contribute seems to keep me glued to the screen...

Here's a link to the story about Boddie Recording Studio...I KNEW I read about this somewhere - didn't realize it had been 3 yrs since I saw it in the PD...But I thought I also saw it in the local edition of the Call and Post a bit later as well....Enjoy!

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/pioneering_boddie_recording_co.html

[mr_june]

GrtGzu, I was just looking at an e-mail from Marc Taylor [[editor/owner of A Touch of Classic Soul magazine) who was letting me know which back issues of the magazine were available. Among them is an issue where he did a story on Linda Jones. It's vol 4 #1 from 2009. Marc is also a SD.com member and often post here.

[Soul Sister]

Welcome in, GrtGzu,
My husband Jimmy Scott also knew Linda. Jimmy is from Cleveland but lived for years in Newark.

Linda has been my favorite female soul singer from day one. I recall she was singing at the Apollo when she had gotten ill due to a brain tumor. I am sure Linda's daughter Terry could tell you more definitive information about Linda.

If you don't have her live album taped at a club in Ohio, check it out, the quality isn't the best but Linda is moving for sure!!
6130

S.S.
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[nosey]

Love, love Linda Jones! I have a cd that her daughter, Terry, produced using "outtakes" sort to speak. I met Terry, about 4 years ago in Philly and she was sweet and she even sounds like her mother. The last I heard was the Terry was in Europe with her singing and writing partner Helen Bruner performing.

[Soul Sister]

Here's the LIVE album ~
6131

S.S.
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[Soul Sister]

Hi Nosey!
I have gotten eamils from Terry & Helen about their upcoming events. Seems like good people, as we used to say. :)

S.S.
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[juicefree20]

Hi GrtGzu,

You have chosen one of our favorite subject matters when you speak of Linda Jones.

What you say is truly sad & very true. I was 7 when Hypnotized was one of the biggest hits in my Brooklyn neighborhood & it has always been a favorite. Despite her recording in New Jersey, I was totally unaware that she had passed away in 1972. It wasn't until many years later that I learned that she had died.

It was my fortune to have met her daughter Terry some years back & we remain in touch when we can. Terry is also a singer & she & her partner Helen Bruner are always busy & their music often takes them overseas.

She had a lot to do with Newark declaring her mother's birthday as "Linda Jones Day" & there should be pictures in our archives of the pictures that I took of that event. Also from that day is an interview with the writer of that song, Richard Poindexter of "Thin Line Between Love & Hate" fame.

I have to find that clip, but in the following clip, Richard discusses working with Linda Jones & the making of "Hypnotized"..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9wwPErX6n8

Terry is truly a sweetheart & quite talented as well. Terry is always happy to talk about her mother & she's very approachable & she's on Facebook.

[daddyacey]

Linda Jones is the only female singer that mastered the vocal styling of Sam Cooke and Billy Stewart. There has not been any equal to this day. Period.

[GrtGzu]

Thanks for the clips and links you guys!!!! I got chills listening to her all over again!!! ;) I really don't understand why she wasn't brought to the "forefront" with a voice like hers... I love the way she can "trill" a note [[is that the proper term?) like nobody else I've heard....

[phil]

Hi GrtGzu, I envy you for just discovering the marvelous and "melismatic" Linda Jones, I think she had no equal in her short life.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY7fZ95XfMY

[Soul Sister]

My Top 12 Linda tunes ~
1. That's When I'll Stop Loving You
2. I Do
3. Hypnotized
4. Baby You Move Me
5. Not On The Outside
6. What Have I Done
7. When The Hurt Comes Back
8. Stay With Me Forever
9. Seeing Is Believing
10. The Things I've Been Through
11. Fugitive From Love
12. I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow [[Still love The O'jays original the best!).

S.S.
***

[luke]

Welcome!! I thought Linda died from complications from diabetes.

[juicefree20]

Luke,

That's exactly what happened. From what her daughter Terri told me, she had done an early show at The Apollo & wasn't feeling well & went home to recooperate between shows. She laid down to rest & when it was time to get her to get up for the next show, she had already expired.

Also contributing to her health woes is the fact that she only had one kidney which makes a diabetic even more susceptible to complications.

[Soul Sister]

Since Terri couldn't be here thank you Juice for filling in for her and clearing that up. I probably had Tammi in back of my memory. The sad thing is losing such talented artists a young age when they sounded so wonderful and were on top. Diabetes is a terrible desease effecting more people than you can imagine, I can think of a lead singer [[private) who is suffering from it right now. Mabel [[Big Maybelle) died from it too. I have no doubt, had they lived, the three above would have given us more delicious music to our ears. We lost the most soulfulest of soul singers in Linda Jones, the sweet and sassy voice of Tammi Terrell, and the perfect phrasing of Big Maybelle. It must be quite a glorius choir up there in Heaven. May they all know they are not forgotten.

S.S.
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